Google proposed to sell part of its ad tech business, but EU publishers want more

Regulators and watchdogs are gunning for Google, accusing it of monopolistic behavior in the ad industry. The European Union has argued that Google's tactics stifle competition and crush its rivals, leading to hefty fines. On top of that, the European Commission says Google is giving its own ad services an unfair advantage and has just opened its fourth case against the search giant.

No AdX, no problem? Well, no

Maybe Google finally decided it was time to take action, as a new report suggests it offered to sell its advertising marketplace, AdX, in a bid to wrap up an EU antitrust investigation. However, European publishers turned down the proposal, claiming it just didn't cut it, according to two sources familiar with the situation.

AdX, short for Ad Exchange, is a platform where publishers can sell their unused ad space to advertisers in real time. Regulators have accused Google of limiting competition in this space, but the company has been pushing back, fighting several legal battles to counter these claims.

According to three lawyers familiar with antitrust cases, Google has never offered to sell one of its assets in a case like this before. They weren't authorized to speak publicly, but apparently, this move marks a first for the tech giant.

However, publishers shot down Google's proposal, saying it wasn't enough. They want the company to divest more than just AdX, pointing to conflicts of interest since Google is involved at nearly every level of the ad tech supply chain.


So, why should Google divest its business? Well, last year, EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager hinted that Google could sell its sell-side tools, DFP and AdX, to resolve conflicts of interest. However, it's unlikely the Commission will force Google to divest assets right away.

Instead, it may order the company to stop its alleged anti-competitive practices in the coming months, given how complicated the case is. If Google doesn't comply with that initial decision, a divestment order might follow later.

So, it looks like Google tried to smooth things over with the EU by agreeing to sell its AdX advertising marketplace, but the offer didn't cut it. I just think everyone involved wants Google to do a lot more to rebuild trust after years of constant clashes between the tech giant and the EU.